Justus Köhncke

So, dear friends, what happened in the House Of Köhncke in 2007's first half?Alongside playing live and DJ gigs all around Germany and the Netherlands, Belgium, France, the UK, Sweden, Norway, and Venice, Italy (DJing after a Scissor Sisters live act for the opening party of the huge international "Biennale" art show) and finishing another film music production with Irmin Schmidt (of CAN fame), Köhncke produced remixes for Sheffield electro outfit HIEM ("POPSCENE", on ESKIMO recs.), german chart pop duo 2raumwohnung, north-scottish eclecto-electro-folk outfit HALF COUSIN ("THE ABSENTEE", on Groenland UK) and, feeling highly honoured by the request, an official remix for HUMAN LEAGUE's classic THINGS THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF (on HOOJ CHOONS).The remix-induced contact with the belgian upfront ESKIMO label led to another release under a new moniker: DIVISION BY ZERO, featuring a style slightly different from his well-known KOMPAKT offerings. More 80s, more cosmic, more futuristic at the same time. DIVISION BY ZERO's "BOULDERDASH" / "BALL BLAZER" 12" will be out july 7.On the KOMPAKT mothership things were not silent as well, greeting 2007 with the release of the JUSTUS KÖHNCKE vs. PRINS THOMAS EP, featuring PTs scandi-disko reworkings of "ELAN" and "ADVANCE" plus a beatless bonus track by the master himself. On KOMPAKT's annual TOTAL compilation (number 8 now, out in august), there will be a brand new Köhncke electro-disco workout called "PICKPOCKETS" (christened so directly after having been robbed a €1000 envelope at the berlin main station directly out off his asspocket by, erm, pickpockets). A new full-length Justus Köhncke album on KOMPAKT is planned for autumn.And, last but not least, Justus found the time to produce a charming, melodic/melancholic/epic 4-track-10"-ep of chosen cover versions (by Lou Reed and Todd Rundgren, amongst others) brought to you by his latest discovery, a shy-minded singer called KINKY JUSTICE. This will be out soon on iCi records, the revived imprint of Köhncke and cologne artist Cosima von Bonin, as catalog # 4.(as of June 27, 2007)From punkrock to acid, ballads to techno, "Whirlpool" to "KOMPAKT" - cologne-based producer, singer and DJ Justus Köhncke has surely come a long way.Justus started off in the late 80s with his first project "Blood And Honey", a Düsseldorf-based duo doing nothing but electronic versions of Amanda Lear songs. After moving to cologne in 1990, Justus, heavily influenced by house music, began producing tracks with different people, especially DJs Hans Nieswandt and Eric D. Clark. At this time, he started spinning his own special mixture of records in the cologne scene as well.From 1992 to 2000 he, Eric and Hans, under their "Whirlpool Productions" moniker, released four full-length albums for Ladomat, Motor and WEA, as well as countless 12 inches and remixes.They are especially known for their 1996 club classic "From: Disco To: Disco" which became a major hit across europe and held the no.1 spot in the italian pop charts, summer 1997, for five weeks.1997 also saw the release of “THE GOINGS OF AN OFFER” by SUBTLE TEASE (on Ladomat), a project by Köhncke and Kai Althoff (cologne-based multi-genre artist and singer), an outerworldly mixture of electronica, beats and vocals.After WPP split up, Justus started releasing under his own name. His first solo album, "Spiralen der Erinnerung" (1999), consisted of very personal electronic interpretations of his favourite classics by the likes of John Cale, Neil Young or Hildegard Knef and also introduced Köhncke as a fragile and soulful vocalist.But disco was never dead for him. He continued rocking the cologne bars and dancefloors as a DJ and developed his very own sci-fi-techno-disco production style. After signing with his old cologne rave buddies on the reowned KOMPAKT label in 2001, he dropped his now-trademark 12 inches "Jet/Shelter" and "2 After 909" as well as his series of Chic-Hommage-Tracks, "SCIENCE 210X". 2002 saw the release of his first solo album for KOMPAKT, "Was Ist Musik", which combined the clubby side of his music and his very special approach towards german-language electronic pop songs. "Doppelleben", the 2005 album release, pushed this duality even further, prompting the US paper "Seattle Weekly" to coin the term "nü-german compu-soul". 2004's 12" release "Timecode" turned out to become his biggest disco smash so far, ruling the floors that summer. His club tracks have been licensed on countless compilations and mix-CDs, including ones by Erlend Øye, Steve Bug, DJ Hell or Felix Da Housecat. In recent years, Justus has produced remixes for Chelonis R. Jones, Ladytron, Mylo, Andreas Dorau, Erasure, Stereo Total and Hot Chip, among others.Justus’ latest offerings include a disco-nouveau-ish remix of Zero 7’s “You’re My Flame” single (heavily appreciated in the UK) and soon-to-come remixes for german-based singer Ian O’Brian-Dokker and Sheffield artist HIEM (on ESKIMO recs). Then there are his collaborations with Dirk Leyers, of CLOSER MUSIK fame, under the KONTRAST moniker (the heavyweight slo-mo-techno-12” “STAMMTISCH DER VERZWEIFLUNG” on KOMPAKT and a brand new detroitish, skin-deep release on cologne’s FIRM imprint featuring Eric D. Clark on vocals called “AN OUNCE OF MEMORIES”), unreleased contributions to this year’s KOMPAKT TOTAL 7 comp (“GREY SKIES TO BLUE” by KONTRAST and his very own kind-of-Human-League-tribute “LOVE AND DANCING”) and, finally, the ADVANCE/OVERHEAD 12” on KOMPAKT, soon to be followed by a remix package with reworkings of Köhncke music by Oslo’s very own Prins Thomas, amongst others. And The Köhncke Disco Laboratory is not standing still…Whether its working at the DJ booth, a club stage, or some grimy bar, Justus is forever passionate and heartfelt, never forgetting why the 4/4-bassdrum was invented in the first place. That is: FOR US TO SHARE!(as of oct 2006)